Splendid

After a wicked weekend away in Byron Bay for work (I was reviewing Splendour in the Grass which I will publish soon I'm sure) I came across this amazing band called Band of Horses.

They're an American indie rock band and they have such an amazing and dreamy quality to so many of their songs. Below is their song No One's Gonne Love You which really deserves more appreciation.

More songs from them to come.

Repo(ssess) My Heart!

I have found what has to be one of the greatest movies of all time to be released this year. No, I don't mean The Dark Knight, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull nor do I mean Zombie Strippers (which to be fair does look like it'll be a barrel of laughs and has porn star Jenna Jameson and horror maestro Robert Englund in it). A brief summary can be found in this wonderful trailer.




How does that movie not sound appealing? And what's more, how can there be a movie better than that? Well my friends, the answer is here.

Repo! The Genetic Opera.



With stars such as Alexa Vega, Paris Hilton, Sarah Brightman, Anthony Head, and many more actors of awesomeness, it is billed as a cross between Blade Runner, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Eagle eyed readers may have spotted Paris 'the root of all that is bad in the world' Hilton, but stay with me here. It is a schmaltzy rock opera with hideously amazing costumes and what sounds like a pretty freaking rocking soundtrack. Even she can't go wrong there right? And if she does, we can just hope she meets the same fate she did in House of Wax.



If you still think that Repo! The Genetic Opera looks bad, check out this clip.



There is hope for mankind yet!

I (Don't) Want to Believe

For all you X-Files fans out there, I sure hope you haven't seen the new movie.

Let's forget for a moment that it seems to have no real relation to the original TV show; or the fact that it seems like the producers/creator just wanted to create a cash cow that appealed to the massive fan base of an awesome and amazing series from the 90s; or even that the paranormal (which as we all know was the basis of the show) is somewhat sidelined in this recent outing.

Let's forget all of that because a bigger travesty has occurred.

You know part of the appeal for the original show was the 'will they won't they?' aspect of Mulder and Scully's relationship. Well now we know for sure. In the last X-Files movie (which was also the first) the relationship was always hinted at. There is even baby William to consider in this little cat and mouse game that was played at by Mulder and Scully - where did he come from? Was Mulder really the father? These were questions raised in the TV show and I think it was an effective plot device - it made us, the viewer, interested and it got us thinking and claiming our own theories. It was after all a show designed for the paranoid and the crazy.

But now all those questions seem to be answered.

In the latest movie, it appears that Mulder and Scully are shacked up and are in fact an item.

WHY?!

This takes away any sort of respect or interest in that particular aspect of the story. It appears that once again the bastardisation (or Hollywooding) of movies is alive and well and has ruined what could have been a halfway decent movie. We don't need things to be overtly emphasised or explained - we're not completely stupid. In fact, to hell with the internet and all that making the kids of today stupider than those of last generation. It's the goddamn movies that come out of Hollywood that explain everything to you in the most obvious terms possible. I'm surprised they haven't started releasing films that have a running commentary about what is happening. Imagine that?

BEN: I am going to pick up this pen and write down a note for my partner to get when she returns home. It is important to know because it will be the last note I ever leave her. I am leaving now.

JUDY (upon returning home): Oh look at this handily placed note on the table that makes it very obvious. I wonder who it could be from. I am going to read this note aloud now.

JUDY Reads: Dear Judy. I have just gone to the shops now because we needed some milk to feed the cats we have. I will be home later. If I am not, then you must assume the worst and think that I have been kidnapped or something equally horrible.

Subtitles down the bottom of the screen (assuming that people can still read):

BEN has just written a note to his partner saying that he will be going out to pick up some milk so that they can feed their cats. In the note, it also mentions that if he does not return then she must assume the worst. BEN places the note on the table in a very obvious place.
JUDY returns home and sees a note placed obviously on the table. She wonders who it could be from. She picks it up and reads it aloud.
SUBTITLES OF THE NOTE DISPLAYED ON SCREEN.

See. How freaking horrible would that be? And that is what has happened to the new X-Files movie. It is like being hit in the face with a goddamn brick whilst being told that you're being hit in the face by a goddamn brick.

Or at least, that's what I imagine it to be like.

I haven't actually seen the movie yet.

Tcard Me Home

The Tcard has been a public debacle for ages, and I just don't get it. If London managed to introduce the Oyster card why can't we? It's all a load of political crap that has stopped it being developed. And maybe the complete incompetency of the company that was supposed to help bring it about.

What really needed to happen was for the people in charge of NSWs public transport systems to come into a room with the premier and the developers and be told to streamline the existing fare structures and then have examples of how to do it.

By all means keep the concession/student/adult ticket prices, but actually divide cities into major zones. Zone 1 for Sydney CBD with a 3 or 5km radius, then Zone 2 from there and so on and so forth. That's what London did and people complain because it costs 4 pound to go from one station to the next in Zone 1 if you buy a ticket. What they don't tell you is that if you get an Oyster card (which you can pretty much buy anywhere) the price goes down to about 1 pound. Bargain! And you don't even have to live there to buy one! I suppose it also helps that the Underground is an effective and (reasonably) efficient public transport system. Especially considering that Sydney is severely lacking in that respect (but that's another rant).
Sure, once you hit the ocean in the east the zones run out which could be an unfair disadvantage compared to those living in the western suburbs but so what? If it makes ticketing and fares easier to understand then it's worth it.

So what is so hard about that? Stop trying to please everyone involved because that doesn't benefit the people who will actually be using the system. Pull your thumbs out and actually go and get this sorted. It's not that hard - swallow your whatever and do it. Hell, I'd even allow them to use my idea and see where that gets them.

Though knowing this country, it'll be another 10 years before it's put into effect.
By which stage even Ethiopia will probably have a better public transport fare system than here.

Australia: Land of the Free, Home of the Brave

We all know that America is the land of the crazies and the yobbos, not to mention the fatties and the uneducated.

Well, at least we thought we knew that. But with the recent revival of "me-tooism" it appears that Australia wants to take those crowns from the good old US of A and own them for itself. I keep finding evidence that we, the laconic people of the land Down Under, are fast becoming some of the stupidest people in the world. And the most awesome.

A case in point would be this article in the online Herald that caught my attention. For those that can't be bothered checking it out, it pretty much says that some guy from Newcastle (of course. You wouldn't see a Sydneysider being so uncouth) getting on his horse and riding around the streets of his neighbourhood.
Sure, that doesn't sound too bad does it.
But no, he was also swigging from a bottle of bourbon. Now that is awesome.
Of course, if this was America he would have been waving some lasso around and shooting off his little pistols whilst yelling "Yee-ha" and "darn-tootin" a lot (not to mention the flannel shirt, the cowboy boots, and the 40 gallon hat).
Seriously awesome!

Of course, in my mind I prefer to imagine it to be something similar to this amazing scene from the Governator's movie True Lies. If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't just watch that scene - go out and rent the freaking movie!!
It is one of the greatest movies of all time.
If you're into crap dialogue, unbelievable action sequences, and a plot so full of holes it looks like swiss cheese.
But it is still awesome and anyone that dares question me on that point will be summarily stoned.

So what does this have to do with Australia wanting to become fatter, stupider, crazier, and more yob-ish than America?

Probably none. I just wanted to say it.

The Demise of Civlisation as we know it?

This is in relation to a newspaper article that appeared in an American newspaper a few days ago. I found it whilst trawling one of my regular haunts, the photography forum DPReview.

The link to the article is http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_8893673 but the basis of the article is thus: a photographer was asked to take photos of a same-sex commitment ceremony in New Mexico, America. As a Christian, she refused due to religious objections about same-sex couples – it’s against the Bible and all that jazz. The couple then took this photographer to court and the State’s human rights commission instructed the photographer to pay US$6637 for her decision to refuse to do the job as it violated New Mexico’s discrimination law.
Now over on this website people started getting a little bit heated. What started off as a discussion about the so-called stifling of rights in America, it descended into what could only be described as ‘gay-bashing’ by a few members. I’ll get to that later, but first, the rights issue.
I am by no means an expert on American law. In fact, I don’t know the second thing about it. I do know, though, that they have discrimination laws which are supposed to keep people and businesses treated on an equal footing. I am also fairly sure that the laws are different in every State. Based on this particular news article though, it appears that it is a straightforward case about discrimination based on sexual orientation which as stated in the article directly contravenes N.M.’s discrimination law.
Unfortunately, there is not much more information to be had from this article. It tells us that the photographer refused based on her religious beliefs, but it doesn’t tell us how she refused. Did she simply say, “I’m sorry, I can’t photograph your commitment ceremony.” That is short, simple, to the point. It doesn’t give any reasons and to be fair, she is not required to. If she had said that, then the couple in question would have no excuse to file a complaint against her.
However, because a complaint was filed against her, I wonder if she said something a little bit more controversial. Something along the lines of, “I’m sorry. I refuse to photograph your commitment ceremony. I simply can’t do it. You see, you two are gay. Lesbians. A same-sex couple. I’m a Christian. I believe in God and I follow the Bible. And guess what? The Bible is against gays. It’s true. In fact, you should read it; it may help you change back to being normal again. Seriously. What it really comes down to though is that I just won’t take photos of you and your ‘partner’ because, a) I don’t want to end up in Hell which is where I’m sure I’ll end up for dancing with devils such as yourself, and b) You are sub-human, abnormal freaks, and I don’t want to get infected with your disease.”
Of course, the photographer could have just said, “I’m sorry, but I can’t accept this job as I don’t think I would be able to do my best professional work when I disagree with the situation.” If she had said that, then it could have swung either way – you know what Americans are like; always spoiling for a fight or failing that, someone to take to court. Yes, I know it is a gross overgeneralisation, but you have to admit that there has been an increase of cases where people just want to try grab some easy money. But that is for another time and another discussion.
Now we get on to the issue of the rights, something that Americans hold so dear to their hearts.
The First Amendment, according to the Supreme Court, says that the government may not compel people to express views that they don’t endorse. You could then make the argument that being paid to photograph a same-sex ceremony – something that you are morally opposed to – would be endorsing it to some degree. Therefore, refusing to take photos of the ceremony based on religious/personal views because you don’t want to be seen as ‘endorsing’ it is legal.
However, and this is where things get murky, as a business operating in the United States, the photographer can not refuse service to someone over something that they are not able to control such as race, handicaps, sexuality, and the like. In fact, the Federal Civil Rights Act states, “…full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation, without discrimination or segregation on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin.” Some states have a Civil Rights Act that provides broader protection than the Federal one, and so include sexual discrimination.
Where does that leave us then? Do we choose to honour the First Amendment or do we suck it up and take photos of the event because it is discriminatory to refuse to? In this particular instance it appears that the photographer chose the first option (no pun intended).
Of course, what makes this case all the more unbelievable is that although New Mexico ruled in favour of the same-sex couple, the state itself chucked out a proposal to allow for domestic partnerships after critics said that it would be akin to recognising gay marriage. Where’s the discrimination there I wonder? How can a state have an anti-discrimination law – and force people to follow it – when they don’t follow it themselves? Sure, they allow ‘commitment ceremonies’, but that is still a backwards way of looking at the issue. Reading through that thread I found that there are still so many people that discriminate against gays because of their sexuality. The following is taken directly from one of the posts:

Gays and their supporters are way out of control, and are doing their best to shove their abnormal behavior onto everyone else…
Many homosexuals, and a lot of others, live their lives with a chip on their shoulder and are just spoiling for a fight. They wave their freak flag high, as though that's going to make their abnormality normal. It won't.
If homosexuals want to be homosexuals, I don't care, as long as they don't try to force it on me or convince me that it's normal. The same goes for religious wackos. Leave me out of it and we'll get along fine. I don't try to force anything on anyone else and I don't expect anyone to live the way I do.

This is by far one of the most disgusting of the posts there, but someone else posted a comment about gays now having the rights to adopt children. He goes on to say that giving them that right is a bad thing and says gays are selfish for wanting that right. What the hell? Is he honestly saying that gays make worst parents than ‘traditional’ parents?
It is just scary to me that people out there still have such strong views about gays, and it’s not all related to their religious beliefs. Some people genuinely believe that homosexuals are ‘abnormal’ and ‘freaks’.
I honestly hope that this particular viewpoint is on the way out, but I’m afraid that it will never go away. It’s these same intolerant people that label Islam a threat to civilisation as everyone who follows that religion is hell bent on destroying their precious little world.
It could be that they just aren’t educated (and let’s face it, the American education system isn’t all that crash hot), but what can we do about it? I’m afraid of what the answer to that question is.

The Pitfalls of Public Transport

I have been working in the city as a bona fide full-time 9 to 5er now for about two months which has subsequently exposed me to the wonders of rush hour traffic. Now I am not new to public transport in Sydney as I have been using it since I first moved here nearly ten years ago so I am used to the foibles and eccentricities of the network. I have lamented the lack of decent public transport for years (in relation to buses particularly mainly because I don’t really need to use the train system) because there have been many a time when I was standing quietly at the bus stop to make my way to work at the hotel for a shift, only to discover that the bus I was waiting for did not exist. How is this possible you wonder? Well it has been known to happen a lot around Sydney, and my particular phantom was always on a Saturday afternoon. The unfortunate thing for me was that I was given these Saturday shifts on a very regular basis, and that bus route was probably the best and most efficient way of getting to work on time. So of course each week I would stand dutifully at the bus stop hoping beyond hope that the bus would miraculously appear ‘this time’ only to be let down once again by the ineptness of Sydney Buses timetabling. It was generally at this time I would make the inevitable call to a family member to come pick me up from the top of the hill and take me to work. I don’t know why they wouldn’t take me to work originally, seeing as this happened pretty much every week, but I’m sure it may have been for the same reason I would wait at the bus stop week in and week out for this particular bus – it was the hope that maybe the organisers of public transport in Sydney were aware of the problem and had taken steps to rectify it. It was never the case, however, and so it was that this soap opera of a journey to work continued.

Since I started regular working hours, however, I have found that Sydney Buses can get things right, as the Express service to and from the city runs regularly and efficiently – getting me to work in about twenty minutes (depending on the traffic of course). However, and this is a big one, the efficiency and regularity of said services do not automatically a good journey make. I say this for two reasons. The first reason is thus; we are all crammed in like sardines. The bus gets so full it is not an uncommon sight to witness people standing in the aisle with their arms in the air to allow more people on, and then when that gets too full, people start sitting on those already sitting down. Now I’m sure it is nowhere near as bad as travel in Africa or India, but it is still fairly horrible. The second reason is that even though it is an Express bus and clearly labels the fact that once it gets past a certain point it doesn’t stop until the city – or vice versa depending on which way you’re going – people still push the button to get off at bus stops that the bus isn’t supposed to stop at! Now what this means is that a) the bus passengers all look at this idiot with eyes dripping with disdain, and b) we all have to rearrange ourselves so the fool can get off if the bus driver decides to stop (which they inevitably do. They really are quite a nice bunch of chaps when you think about it). What I’m saying is that people are idiots and generally inept at life. I mean, how difficult can it be to realise that you’re about to get on an Express bus – especially seeing as it has in big letters on the front ‘Express Bus – Prepaid Only. Randwick Junction then no stops till City’? It is ridiculous and I think that those people should be round up and driven off a cliff. Apart from those two points, travelling to the city can be quite a pleasant experience – the whiff of body odour as you stand crammed next to some fat person slobbering from their mouth and sweating from pretty much every part of their body; the soothing sounds of the person next to you listening to heavy death metal at an obscene volume; the intimacy you get when you accidentally lose your footing as the bus goes round a corner at eighty kilometres per hour sending you into aforementioned fat person. Wonderful times really, and one which I whole-heartedly recommend you indulge in as you haven’t lived life till you’ve lived in a fat person’s armpit on a crowded bus as you make your way to work.